A Life in Exile

There is a long list of words that have come into vogue in the last ten to twenty years. Often, the words are not new to the English language, but their revised meanings or new usages are. The word influencer is one of these words, and I’m the first to say that I’m pretty tired of it. Despite my current misgivings over the modern influencer culture, the word does describe a reality for every person—we influence others.

Great or small, life-changing or not, each one of us makes an impact on those around us. We certainly have influence on our immediate family, schoolmates, colleagues at work, and upon our circle of friends. In turn, our influence affects their influence, and so on. You don’t have to be on social media to be an influencer.

But what does this mean for Christ-followers? We who’ve been influenced and ultimately changed by Jesus Christ must see our ability to influence others in a new light. As Paul wrote his letter to Titus, he included some practical insights on how Christians are to live in an increasingly hostile world. Our priority is to build up our fellow believers in the faith, which is the living out of our call to make disciples of all nations. As my pastor shared in his coverage of this book, “we’ve been stewarded with the influence of our lives.”

Take my life, lead me, Lord

The old hymn by Rawls R. Maines comes to mind as I think about this topic. The first line goes like this: “Take my life, lead me, Lord. Take my life, lead me, Lord. Make my life useful to Thee.” As I think about this song in relation to stewarding my influence, Paul reminds me that it’s important to be realistic about who I was before knowing Christ.

For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. (Titus 3:3 CSB)

Before Christ took me, I lived in a place of disobedience and rejection of the things of God. Sin kept me locked in unholiness, unable to know God or reach Him by any of my own efforts.

When we think about our influence, remembering who we were before Christ changed us keeps us humble and able to identify with those who are struggling with sin. We don’t say, “been there done that” out of a sense of pride but confession. Acknowledging our own pre-Christ state, we can have grace with those outside of the family of faith. As Paul says, remembering who we were without Christ helps us to “slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people” (Titus 3:2).

Not only do we acknowledge who we once were, but we also confess that our salvation is but for the grace of God.

But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

Again, we are unable to reach God by our own efforts. Remembering that any good in us is by God’s grace enables us to influence out of the overflow of His Spirit. Any good we do is not to draw people to us but to God. We point, not to ourselves, but to the source of all hope—Jesus.

To influence others, we must know others

So many of Paul’s letters end with wonderful lists of people, and his letter to Titus is no exception.

When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me in Nicopolis, because I have decided to spend the winter there. Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey, so that they will lack nothing. (Titus 3:12-13)

It is evident that, though we know Paul to be the greatest missionary in history, he was not alone in the work. As he made disciples among the nations, he taught and trained, enlisted and supported others to the task of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and building His Church. He names people he knows. Here he is sending Artemas and Tychicus to relieve Titus, so Titus is able to come help Paul in another city. Zenas and Apollos had brought the letter from Paul to Titus, and for their efforts, he encourages Titus to make sure they have what they need to continue on their way.

We want our lives to encourage and influence others to do the work God has called them to do, both within the Body of Christ and out in the wider world for His Kingdom. That may mean relieving a person who has been serving in one way, so they can move into a new area of service. It may require us to train or financially help fellow believers who are following God’s call in overseas service.

How can we influence others in the Body of Christ to become more devoted to good works and meet pressing needs? How are you stewarding your role, your influence, to build up the Church and bear fruit to His glory?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)

May your influence be the fragrance of Christ to all.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Wednesday Wisdom, click HERE, or check out these posts on stewardship and building the Church: Stewards, Learning from the Past: Forty-Three, What’s Your Ministry?, Watch How You Live, A Woman of Influence, and She Made a Difference.